A Persian king spends 180 days boasting to his guests about the wealth of his empire, and when the treasures run out he orders his own wife brought out on display. That scene opens the book of Esther, the one book of the Bible in which the word God never appears (Esther 1-2). The sermon follows a young woman who is no textbook hero, who makes choices nobody could be proud of, and who is still woven into the rescue of an entire people. Listen if you live somewhere God seems invisible and you are asking how to stay faithful to him there.
Discussion questions
For your small group or for personal reflection after the sermon.
- What kind of world is described in Esther 1-2: Xerxes' power, his banquets and the dismissal of Vashti, and what does this picture tell us about the Jews living in exile?
- Why do you think the word God never appears in the book of Esther, and what does that say about how He works in the history of His people?
- Esther is no hero like Daniel and his friends: she eats at the king's table and hides her origins. How do you feel about God using such imperfect people and choices?
- In what situations of your life does the question "God, where are you?" come up most strongly? How does this story change the way you see those moments?
- The speaker said the world where God seems invisible breaks into our lives without permission and puts us before dilemmas that are not black and white. How do you seek God's guidance when the choice is not obvious?
- Where this week, at work, in your family or neighbourhood, can you be like the missionary in China and live as if you see God, even when others do not?
